Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State Opens Big West Play At UC Irvine
1/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete LBSU Game Notes (UC Irvine) 
Game: Long Beach State at UC Irvine
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2015
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Irvine, Calif.
Arena: Bren Events Center (5,000)
TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket
TV Talent: Mark Rogondino, Corey Magette
Radio: KBEACH.org; HD 88.1-3
Radio Talent: Rob Brender
Webcast: bigwest.org/tv
Live Stats: longbeachstate.com
RIGHT AWAY
• The Beach begins Big West conference play with a difficult road trip, facing off with UC Irvine and UC Davis in the first two games. UC Irvine was the preseason pick to repeat as conference champions, while UC Davis starts the week with the best overall record in the league, posting a 10-3 mark in non-conference action.
• Mike Caffey is leading the Beach with 16.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, while averaging 3.6 rebounds a contest. A 2014-15 Lou Henson Award Watch List selection (Best Mid-Major Player), Caffey is a two-time first-team All-Big West selection heading into his senior year, and Caffey can join Larry Anderson, Francois Wise, and Ed Ratleff as the only 49ers to be a three-time First-Team All-Big West honoree. Caffey was also selected to the Wooden Legacy All-Tournament Team, averaging 20 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists while leading Beach to a third place finish. Entering the week, Caffey was 5th in the Big West in both scoring and assists.
• Caffey is four assists away from having 400 in his career, and when he gets there he will be the seventh player in school history to reach the milestone. He will also be the fourth player to score 1,000 points and make 400 assists at the Beach, joining three NBA alums: Casper Ware, Ed Ratleff and Craig Hodges.
• Long Beach State has had nine different players reach double-figures in 2014-15, and is using a rotation of 11 players in one of the deepest teams in recent 49er history. Mike Caffey has scored in double figures in 14 games, and has been joined in that club this season by Tyler Lamb, David Samuels, McKay LaSalle, Branford Jones, Eric McKnight, and three freshmen in Deontae North, Jack Williams and Temidayo Yussuf.
THE PLAYERS
• The Beach features one of the best backcourts not just in the Big West but in the entire West Coast. Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb each earned All-Big West honors last season, and combined to average 31.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. The pair is back leading the way in 2014-15, combining for 26.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 2014-15.
• Tyler Lamb returned to the starting lineup after missing the first two games, and had a great start, scoring 17 points with three rebounds and two blocks. Lamb is averaging 9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2014-15 with the 49ers, second on the team in both categories.
• Forward David Samuels has started each game in his senior season after starting 29 games for the Beach as a junior college transfer last season. Samuels picked up his fourth double-double with the Beach in LBSU's 69-60 win over Kansas State, and is averaging 8.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, leading the team in rebounding and sitting third in scoring.
• Branford Jones has adjusted to a number of roles this season, averaging 7.9 points per game. The sophomore has saved his best for some of the 49ers' biggest games, leading the team in scoring with 14 points against Kansas State and scoring 13 points in LBSU's win over Xavier. Jones also led the team in scoring at No. 5 Louisville. Overall, Jones has started just five games, but is fourth on the team in scoring.
• Temidayo Yussuf had a breakout tournament in the Wooden Legacy. Making his first three collegiate starts, Yussuf scored six points with a career high seven rebounds in the opening game over Western Michigan, and followed that performance with 16 points and six rebounds against Washington. Yussuf closed the tournament with 15 points and five boards against Xavier, averaging 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds on the weekend. Yussuf's strong turn continued against Nevada, as the freshman picked up his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
• Eric McKnight had his best week as a 49er at Syracuse and Louisville. A starter for Florida Gulf Coast's "Dunk City" team that reached the Sweet 16, McKnight joined the Beach this season as a graduate transfer for his final year of eligibility. McKnight had a season high 14 points at Syracuse, tying for the team lead, and then had a team high seven rebounds at No. 5 Louisville.
• All four of Long Beach State's freshman played in the CIF state championships in 2013, with three, Jack Williams, Justin Bibbins and Temidayo Yussuf all winning the state title with their high school teams. Bibbins and Williams were also both named the Wooden Player of the Year for their respective division.
THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State closes out the non-conference with the nation's most difficult schedule out of 351 Division I teams, as rated by kenpom.com. The schedule also rated as the No. 3 schedule as rated solely by opponent winning percentage entering league play. Over the last six seasons, the 49ers have ranked non lower than sixth in strength of schedule, and have had the toughest schedule twice.
• Over the last five years, the 49ers have won three regular season titles and have finished no lower than third in the Big West, winning a league-best 61 games of the last five seasons.
• Long Beach State won their rematch over Xavier on November 30, and after beating Kansas State earlier in the year, has beaten two Power 6 teams for the first time since the 2011-12 season, the last time Beach advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The 49ers have seven wins over Power 6 teams under Dan Monson.
• Long Beach State is scheduled for as many as 23 national broadcasts this season - Over 70% of the team's games even before the Big West Tournament. 23 television games would break last season's record of 21, as the Beach continues to gain additional exposure.
• Now with 125 wins in his career, Dan Monson recorded win No. 123 in a 73-70 win over Xavier in with Long Beach State and passed Basketball Hall of Famer Jerry Tarkanian for the most as the head coach of the 49ers. Monson received a contract extension this offseason, and is committed to the Beach through the 2018-19 season.
ABOUT UC IRVINE
• UC Irvine was picked by the media to finish first in the Big West, receiving 20 first-place votes, ranked in front of UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State.
• The Anteaters have been missing two key pieces of late in preseason All-Big West selection Mamadou Ndiaye and Luke Nelson. A 7-6 center, Ndiaye has missed 12 games, and Nelson has missed four. The pair are the top two scorers on the Anteaters by average in 2014-15.
• In their absence, UCI has been led by Alex Young and Will Davis II. Davis is averaging 10.6 points per game and 5.7 rebounds, while Alex Young has averaged 10.9 points per game while making 13 starts this season.
• The "Black and Blue Rivalry", UC Irvine is the 3rd-most common opponent for Long Beach State Men's Basketball, trailing only fellow Big West members UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton. LBSU leads the all-time series 55-37.
• In the rivalry championship, Long Beach State holds an 11-0 lead over UC Irvine through the fall sports, with the Beach winning twice in women's volleyball, once in Men's Water Polo, and finishing higher in both men's and women's cross country earlier this season.
UP NEXT
• Long Beach State will stay on the road, traveling to face UC Davis at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 10. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU, and marks the seventh game out of the last eight with broadcast availability for the 49ers.
